This invention relates to an insulated beverage holder and, more particularly, to such a device which holds a bottle and which may be folded up for transport or storage.
Insulated beverage holders are well known in the art for receiving beverage cans or bottles and insulating the contents thereof from rapid. temperature change. The standard insulated beverage holder of the prior art is made of a bodily flexible foam material with a fabric covering and has a circular bottom wall connected to a cylindrical side wall. The standard insulated beverage holder occupies somewhat more than the volume of the container which it is designed to hold, thereby making it inconvenient to ship, display for sale or store between uses. When empty, the standard insulated can holder will stand upright and neither tip over nor will the cylindrical side wall collapse or flex from its own weight.
Another embodiment of a conventional insulated can holder has a split bottom so the sides collapse into a flat structure for storage and transport.
The standard insulated can holder has an open top so the top of the container therein is exposed. There is accordingly considerable heat loss through the exposed top of the container. In addition, openings in the top of the can allow entry of dust, insects and the like. Thus, bees or the like are attracted to sweet liquids in the can and are known to fly into the openings of cans held in standard insulated beverage holders to the consternation of a person drinking from the can. In very dusty situations, a close inspection of the can contents will ruin one""s inclination to drink from the can.
Insulated holders for bottles are known in the art. A typical bottle holder comprises a generally cylindrical bottom having a zipper extending upwardly from the bottom. The idea is that, with the zipper open, the bottle may be inserted into the bottom. When the zipper is run up, the holder assumes an upwardly tapering configuration closely receiving the bottle.
By this invention there is provided an insulated bottle holder which can be collapsed and stowed in a portion of the holder. An insulated bottle holder of this invention includes a generally cylindrical lower sleeve for receiving the bottom of the bottle. The lower sleeve includes a lid and a zipper for closing the lid against the sleeve. The insulated bottle holder also comprises an upper open top generally upwardly tapering sleeve for receiving the upper end of the bottle. The lid of the lower sleeve is secured to the upper sleeve so, when the holder is empty, the upper sleeve can be folded into a stowed position inside the lower sleeve and the zipper manipulated to close the lower sleeve.
It is accordingly an object of this invention to provide an improved insulated bottle holder.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved insulated bottle holder of multiple components where one of the components may be stowed inside the other.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved insulated bottle holder where part of the holder provides a receptacle for temporarily receiving another part of the holder sleeve during transport, display and/or non-use.
These and other objects and advantages of this invention will become more fully apparent as this description proceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawings and appended claims.